The present invention relates generally to databases and more particularly to a database system facilitating parametric searching.
In the past, business user of corporate procurement processes were often left dissatisfied with such processes, which often made procurement of items inefficient, slow, and expensive. For example, using some previous procurement systems, the task of searching for and ordering even a single item could take days, weeks, or even months in certain cases. As a result, many users of previous procurement systems have been discouraged by the lack of features, flexibility, and user-friendliness of such systems, leading such users to decrease or eliminate their use of such systems. The above factors have resulted in duplicate items stealing valuable storage capacity within business, have kept businesses from exercising maximum purchasing leverage, and have perpetuated many other problems. Previous procurement techniques have therefore been inadequate for the needs of many business users.
According to the present invention, problems and disadvantages of previous database systems may be substantially reduced or eliminated.
In one aspect of the present invention, a computer-implemented database system includes a first database table including one or more rows each corresponding to a keyword and each including an identifier uniquely identifying the keyword. Each keyword corresponds to one or more items for which a parametric search may be performed. A second database table includes one or more rows each corresponding to an attribute of one or more items and each including an identifier uniquely identifying the attribute and a name of the attribute. A third database table includes one or more rows each corresponding to a keyword-attribute combination and each including the identifier for the keyword of this combination, the identifier for the attribute of this combination, and a set of all valid attribute values for this combination. A fourth database table includes one or more rows each corresponding to an item and each including an identifier uniquely identifying the item, a name for the item, and the identifier for the keyword corresponding to the item. A fifth database table includes one or more rows each corresponding to an attribute value of an attribute of an item and each including the attribute value, the identifier for the attribute, the identifier for the item, and the identifier for the keyword corresponding to the item.
In another aspect of the present invention, a computer-implemented database system includes a database including a first table that facilitates construction of a hierarchical data structure for user selection of a keyword in connection with a parametric search. Each keyword corresponds to a folder of the data structure and to one or more items for which the parametric search may be performed, a keyword corresponding to a folder that has one or more sub-folders being considered a parent keyword for the keywords corresponding to those sub-folders. The first table includes multiple rows each corresponding to a keyword and each including: an identifier uniquely identifying the corresponding keyword; a name for the corresponding keyword; an indication of whether the corresponding keyword has a parent keyword, if the corresponding keyword has a parent keyword then the indication including the identifier for the parent keyword; a name path for the corresponding keyword including the names for all keywords that exist in a corresponding path through the data structure from a top level folder of the data structure to the folder for the corresponding keyword, the name path including at least the name for the corresponding keyword; and an indication of whether the corresponding keyword is a last keyword in the name path.
In another aspect of the present invention, a computer-implemented database system includes a first database table including rows each corresponding to a keyword and each including a keyword identifier uniquely identifying the keyword and an indication of whether a piece of media relating to the keyword is available. Each keyword corresponds to one or more items for which a parametric search for items matching a parametric query may be performed. A second database table includes rows each corresponding to an item and each including an item identifier uniquely identifying the item and the keyword identifier for the keyword corresponding to the item. A third database table includes rows each corresponding to a piece of media and each including a media identifier uniquely identifying the piece of media and information reflecting how the piece of media is to be accessed. A fourth database table includes rows each corresponding to a combination of a keyword and a piece of media and each including the keyword identifier for the keyword and the media identifier for the piece of media. A fifth database table includes rows that each correspond to a combination of an item and a piece of media and each including the item identifier for the item and the media identifier for the piece of media.
Certain embodiments of the present invention may provide one or more technical advantages. For example, certain embodiments may provide a system that allows users to search for items in a way that does not require them to know specific formatting and syntax requirements for the system. Certain embodiments may provide a system that conveys to a user what the attributes of a specific item are, so that the user can narrow a search quickly without full knowledge of the desired item. Certain embodiments may simplify how a user inputs attribute values (i.e. specific values for attributes), as well as reduce the amount of errors that often occur when doing so. Certain embodiments may help eliminate uncertainty associated with xe2x80x9cformatting errorsxe2x80x9d so that when the system returns no matches, the user knows it is because there are no items with those attribute values, and not because the user improperly formatted the search. Other technical advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the figures, descriptions, and claims included herein.